Hargeisa unperturbed as Amb Hammadi becomes the First Casualty of ongoing war of words Dispute between Somaliland and Somalia over Emirati Military Base
By Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun- The United Arab Emirates has recalled its long serving envoy to Somalia.
Authorities in Abu Dhabi gave their envoy to Somalia Ambassador Mohammed Ahmed Othman Al Hammadi .24 hours to decamp Mogadishu without the necessity of regular diplomatic etiquettes
The sudden departure of long serving Envoy from Mogadishu is said to emanate from two pronged reasons namely the Election of Farmajo as president of Somalia and his subsequent rejection of the award of an Emirati military base by Somaliland authorities in its port town of Berbera.
During the protracted Somalia presidential elections in which over 20 candidates were in contention the UAE sided and subsequently supported then PM Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke thence start of bad blood with the immigrate past president Hasan Sheik Mahmoud 
Though both Hasan Shiekh and Omar Lost the winner and current president Mohamed Abdilahi Farmajo did not take the UAE impartiality lightly and in revenge he went after its military deal with Somaliland immediately he took office in February.
Terming the deal as not only corrupt but illegal president Farmajo who had alluded the Emiratis as intent on dividing Somalis for selfish gain averted to challenge the contract at the highest levels that is within the Arab league and United Nations.
And to show further determination for his anti-UAE military base in Berbera campaign president Farmajo made Saudi Arabia his maiden foreign visit with the sole objective of not only lodging his military facility protest with King Salman but asking the monarch to intervene with the Emiratis
With the sudden recall of Ambassador Al Hammadi it appears as if the Emiratis are feeling the pinch of the Farmajo campaign and only time will tell as per the direction that soured relations between the two formerly intimate countries take.
In the meantime and dispite the recall of the UAE envoy authorities in Hargeisa are casually going about business with the Emiratis foremost being the final assumption of Berbera port management by Dubai Ports World which has a 30 year contract.
As for the military base the government argues that the deal is not only a foregone conclusion having been unanimously approved by a joint session of the Somaliland Legislature but that Somalia is a non entity in the issue
According to the Somaliland presidential Spokesperson Eng Hussein Aden Egge “Hussein Deyr” The military base in Berbera which Somaliland has signed with UAE does not concern Somalia and Mogadishu wouldn’t be asked anything on the issue” while notifying the UN, AU, EU, Arab league, and US, will not change an iota of facts on the ground, since the parliament is supreme body in Somaliland” s
Adding that whether be it illegal or otherwise “Somalia has no Say in Somaliland’s Internal Matters”
Similarly the administration of president Silanyo has accused the Somalia Federal Government in organizing demonstrations protesting the Base held outside the UAE embassy in London
